FREE STATE – The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State, Lieutenant General Solly Lesia, and the Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, have welcomed the sentencing of 31-year-old Lebohang Mokatedi and his company, Lebohang Society and Financial Credit Service (Pty) Ltd, by the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Thursday, 15 October 2026.
They commended the investigating team comprising the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Bloemfontein, together with detectives from Bloemspruit and Botshabelo, for conducting a thorough investigation and ensuring that justice is served to the victims of the fraudulent scheme.
The sentencing follows Mokatedi’s conviction on 8 October 2026 on multiple counts of fraud, theft and money laundering.
During 2024, Mokatedi introduced a “Christmas” stokvel, enticing unsuspecting members to join by promising them groceries, alcoholic beverages, household items and relish ingredients at the end of the year. Members were required to contribute monthly amounts ranging from R100 to R500.
Several people from Bloemfontein and Botshabelo joined the stokvel and honoured their monthly contributions. However, when the time came for Mokatedi to deliver the promised goods, he disappeared and failed to honour the arrangements made with the members.
Several victims subsequently opened cases of fraud and theft against Mokatedi at various police stations in Bloemfontein and Botshabelo.
The cases were initially investigated by detectives in Bloemfontein and Botshabelo before being handed over to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit in Bloemfontein. An intensive investigation resulted in Mokatedi’s arrest in East London, Eastern Cape.
The Bloemfontein Regional Court sentenced Mokatedi to 15 years’ imprisonment, of which five years are wholly suspended for five years, on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence during the period of suspension. He will therefore serve 10 years’ direct imprisonment.
His company, Lebohang Society and Financial Credit Service (Pty) Ltd, was sentenced to a R1 million fine, wholly suspended for five years on condition that the company is not convicted of a cybercrime-related fraud offence during the period of suspension.